Congress leader Sonia Gandhi on Friday said she is handing over her son Rahul Gandhi to the people of Rae Bareli and added that they will not be disappointed with him. “I am handing over my son to you. Rahul will not disappoint you,” said Ms. Gandhi, addressing a public meeting at ITI ground in Rae Bareli.
Expressing gratitude to the people of Rae Bareli for giving her an opportunity to serve them as a Lok Sabha member for 20 years, the Rajya Sabha member said: “Everything I got is due to your love and support. So, brothers and sisters, I am giving you, my son. You consider him yours.”
The former Congress president, who addressed the gathering with her son Mr. Gandhi and daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra standing by her side, remembered her mother-in-law and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, while adding that both her children will follow the same teachings taught to her by the late PM.
“I taught the same lessons to Rahul and Priyanka which Indiraji and the people of Rae Bareli taught me — respect all, fight against injustice, protect the needy and fight for the rights of people,” said Ms. Gandhi in an emotional appeal.
She highlighted the century-old ties that the Congress and Gandhi family share with the constituency adding that Rae Bareli has always shown the way to the country and has made an invaluable contribution in strengthening democracy.
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“Not only are the memories of decades linked from here, but also the roots of my family are connected to this soil for the last 100 years. The relationship is as sacred as Mother Ganga is with the farmers of Awadh and Rae Bareli,” she added.
Ms. Gandhi, the longest serving Congress president, was first elected as an MP from Rae Bareli in the 2004 Lok Sabha polls and represented the seat till earlier this year before getting elected as a member of the Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan. She cited her frail health and age-related issues for not contesting the parliamentary polls from the seat, adding that her heart will always be with the people of Rae Bareli.
Mr. Gandhi, who is contesting from the seat this time, described the moment as very emotional, and accepted the responsibility with pride and promise.
“Today Mother handed over the flag of 100 years of service tradition of Rae Bareli to me with confidence. I accept this responsibility with pride and promise that I will respect every word my mother says,” he wrote on X.
Speaking before his mother at the rally, Mr. Gandhi said the people of India, particularly the youth from across the nation, have made up their mind that they don’t want a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government and asserted that an INDIA coalition government will be formed after June 4, the day that Lok Sabha election results are declared.
